Hilton has announced the signing of Hampton by Hilton Sandton Grayston at the African Hotel Investment Forum in Ethiopia.

The deal marks the first for the brand in Africa and sees the company reach the milestone of 100 hotels trading or under development on the African continent for Hilton in its centenary year.

A franchise agreement was signed with Afrirent Pty through its Indalo Hotels & Leisure subsidiary, a level one Black Economic Empowerment third party operating company.

Indalo will be the operator of the 158-guest room Hampton by Hilton hotel in Sandton, the financial capital of South Africa.

This mid-market property will join Hilton’s flagship upscale Hilton Sandton, offering additional choice for travellers to the district.

Construction is scheduled to begin at the site on Grayston Drive in early 2020 with first guests set to be welcomed by mid-2021.

Hampton by Hilton serves value-conscious and quality-driven travellers at more than 2,500 properties across the world.

Hilton has enjoyed a rapid period of expansion in the focused service segment through the Hilton Garden Inn brand which has operational hotels in six African markets and a further ten under development.

Hampton by Hilton is expected to compliment this growth and provide owners and customers with greater choice.

Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president, development, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Hilton said: “With this being our 100th year, reaching the milestone of 100 hotels allows us to reflect on our rich legacy of pioneering tourism on the African continent but also to look to the future.

“We continue to step up the pace of our growth, especially in the mid-market segment which presents a tremendous opportunity as evidenced by the rapid expansion of Hilton Garden Inn on the continent since its debut in 2016.”